Old Town still makes the 111 Classic,
it has the 55" cockpit. At least its on their website, which appears to be recently redone.
For my needs…
and after considerable internal debate I purchased a Mad River Orion square stern. As primarily a fishing boat for rivers and small lakes it provides room for gear up to three the ability to row paddle or electric trolling good stability and though listed at eighty pounds not too bad to handle. I do use a caddy to transport from truck to water.
canoes…
I’ve owned several canoes, and I fish a lot from them, mainly on Ozark streams but also on small lakes occasionally. I owned an OT Pack for many years, as well as an old Oscoda Coda fiberglass canoe that I still own. My present solo canoe of choice is the Wenonah Vagabond…like has been said above, it is still lightweight, but tracks much better than the Pack. Because it is longer, over 14 feet, it also makes it easier to stow extra rods. The Oscoda tracks even better, but I don’t like fiberglass because it’s noisier than Royalex.
As far as tandem canoes, I own two Old Town Penobscot 16s…enough said.
Much prefer canoes to kayaks, more comfortable for me and I can more easily carry the 5 or 6 rods and all the tackle I usually take.
The Wenonah Vagabond…
is my “latest” favorite. Still use my OT Pack for quick or short fishing trips. The Vagabond paddles easier and has more storage room. Like to use my Tarpon 140 sometimes too. Guess it just depends on the situation and the mood I’m in on the choice I really prefer. They all fish great. But, when I’m going down the rocky river I enjoy fishing I often use my old favorite, the bullet proof Loon 138. Guess you can see it’s hard to narrow down to a single “favorite” for me…
First day in the new Sundance
In an earlier post I mentioned that my new Sundance was due yesterday. It came in and I played in one of my ponds for a bit but today I took it out to one of the bigger lakes in the Land Between the Lakes (LBL) here in Western Kentucky. The boat is everything I had hoped for and then some. It tracks much better than my Bayou and has plenty of room for my gear. It has a little less initial stability than my Jon Boat but is very stable under way. I really enjoyed paddling the boat and I think it will be great for the kind of fishing I do.
Budd || Clint
OT Disco 160 K
I use my Disc 160 as a rowboat for fishing. It make fishing automatic because the oars are alway right there. You don’t have to set them down quietly, you just let go and cast. When fishing I am usually rowing forward slowly rather than the backward facing rowing you do when speed is most important.
I also use a small 9 foot rec kayak that is no longer made but it is simlat to an OT otter or other smooth bottom 9 footers. It turns on a dime and is easy to transport. All 9 footers are slow boat though.
What it comes down to is that the best
fishing vessel is the one you have access to and use on a regular basis. Its all about getting floatation so you can get out on the water. In some situations, I still prefer my old round innertube float for fishing from, in others, its my Loon 138, or may 9.6 Necky, or maybe my 17 ft Mohawk.
touring sik and solo canoe
I like the QCC400x for kayak camping and fishing in the FL Everglades coastal areas. My day fishing boat preference goes to the Wenonah Vagabond solo canoe, it’s easy to carry and car top, as fast as a comparable sized SOT and you can move around and bring all kinds of coolers, tackle boxes, etc. Although I tend to be a minimalist for camping and fishing so a touring type SIK is great for the long distance trips I take in the area.
Pungos & Sundances
I use a Wilderness Systems Pungo 12 (older style) and a Perception sundance 12.5. Both have been modified to “angler” versions with the help of a circle saw kit, screw gun, some rod holders, stainless screws, and assorted hardware for the anchor systems.
Dick’s sporting goods carries the old style pungo for $400, and since I sold my last one because it was dark green (I fish on the bay), I will be picking up a new one shortly. Great boat for the money, easy to manage solo as it’s only 47 lbs, and you never lose a dime when you sell them.
I find both the WS and Perceptions paddle a little better than the OT loon 11, and the Walden 12. Just my opinion.
Sportspal
Gander Mountain has started to carry Sportspal canoes. The Sportspal is an ugly canoe but perfect to fish from. Stable as all hell, a pig to paddle, but light and built like a tank.
Current Designs Whistler
Fishing a Current Designs Whistler here. Stability is great. The factory rudder could be better. I havent had any problems catching redfish out of it.
OT Dirigo 106
Because it was free!!! lol
I’ve grown to love the little boat though. Smaller kayak but still has the bells and whistles so to speak. I tried other kayaks and really like the seat in these. I usually go out for 4-5 hours or more at a time so i want to be comfortable. This one does the trick for me.
15.5 ft Pelican
I built stabilizers for the canoe and am able to take my kids with me. It has turned out to be a great fishing platform. I must say that with out the additional stabilizers it was very unstable.